COUNTRY CHURCH AND PROGRESS 175 



well take up the role of promoter — a promoter 

 of righteousness and peace through so-called 

 secular means. Thus shall he perform the 

 highest function of the prophet — to spiritualize 

 and glorify the common. But the rural pastor 

 can go even farther. (3) He may co-operate 

 with them. He may thus assist in uniting with 

 the church all of those other agencies that make 

 for rural progress, and thus secure a " federa- 

 tion," if not "of the world," at least of all the 

 forces that are helping to solve the farm problem; 

 and he may thus found a " parliament,' ' if not 

 "of man," at least of all who believe that the 

 rural question is worth solving and that no one 

 movement is sufficient to solve it. 



We come now to the most practical part of our 

 subject, which is, how the proposed relation 

 between church and other rural social forces 

 may be secured. There are four suggestions 

 along this line. 



1. Sociological study by the rural pastor. 

 This is fundamental. In general it means a 

 fairly comprehensive study of sociological prin- 

 ciples, some study of sociological problems, and 

 some practice in sociological investigation. As 

 it relates to the rural pastor, it means also a 

 knowledge of rural sociology. It implies a grasp 



